Jeju domestic flights cut by 650,000 seats, but Korean Air to add 3,160 seats during fall holidays

[Financial News, Jeju = Reporter Jung Yong-bok] As domestic seat supply at Jeju Airport for the summer season has fallen by more than 650,000 seats from a year earlier, Korean Air will operate 20 mileage special flights on the Gimpo–Jeju route during the Chuseok, National Foundation Day and Hangeul Day holidays. Following similar flights during Lunar New Year and the summer vacation period, this will be the third such program this year. Including the fall schedule, Korean Air will have arranged 54 mileage special flights on Jeju routes in 2025.
According to Korean Air on the 1st, the fall mileage special flights will operate during the Chuseok holiday from Sept. 24 to 27, the National Foundation Day holiday from Oct. 3 to 5, and the Hangeul Day holiday from Oct. 9 to 11.
A total of 20 flights, offering about 3,160 seats, will be provided across the three holiday periods. A Boeing 737-8 aircraft will be used.
Mileage special flights are arranged so that certain Gimpo–Jeju flights can be booked first with mileage. They differ from ordinary temporary peak-season flights, but they help meet holiday travel demand to Jeju while giving mileage customers a better chance to secure actual seats.
The reason this schedule is drawing attention is the decline in seat supply on domestic Jeju routes. According to KAC at Jeju Airport, the domestic flight supply plan for the summer operating period from March 29 to Oct. 24 this year is 17,153,208 seats. That is 651,394 fewer seats, or 4% less, than the 17,804,602 seats actually supplied during the same period last year.
The average number of seats supplied per day also fell by 3,102, from 84,784 last year to 81,682 this year. This year’s summer domestic flight plan includes 91,234 flights, down 516 flights, or 1%, from the 91,750 flights actually operated last year. In other words, the drop in seats is larger than the drop in flight frequency.
The reduction in seats by major carriers is larger than the overall average. Korean Air’s summer domestic Jeju supply plan this year is 2,907,736 seats, down 17% from 3,489,307 seats last year. Asiana Airlines also cut supply by 26%, from 2,840,800 seats to 2,091,562.
Jeju Island believes the decline in airline seats could affect residents’ mobility and tourists’ access to Jeju, so it launched a task force in August with airlines and KAC participating. By the end of the year, it plans to review key issues such as Jeju Airport’s capacity conditions, winter seat supply prospects and airfares.
Jeju’s tourism industry is also raising concerns about the shortage of seats. In May, the Jeju Special Self-Governing Province Tourism Association launched a signature campaign to resolve the shortage of airline seats to Jeju and improve accessibility. It called for expanded flights on Jeju routes and a recovery in seat supply through the deployment of larger aircraft.
This is the third time this year that Korean Air has arranged mileage special flights. During the Lunar New Year holiday, it operated 14 flights in total on the Gimpo–Jeju route, with two flights a day for seven days from Feb. 13 to 19.
During the summer vacation period, it operated 20 flights in total, with two flights a day from July 27 to Aug. 6, except on Aug. 2. At the time, it deployed an Airbus A220-300 with 140 economy seats, providing 2,800 seats.
If the 20 fall holiday flights are added, Korean Air will have arranged 54 Jeju mileage special flights during this year’s Lunar New Year, summer and fall peak seasons.
However, the 3,160 seats provided this time should not be seen as equivalent to a general increase in flights aimed at easing the overall seat shortage on domestic Jeju routes. Mileage special flights are mainly intended to expand opportunities to use bonus tickets, and their scale is limited compared with the more than 650,000-seat reduction in this summer’s overall Jeju domestic supply.
Even so, by assigning separate flights to Jeju routes during each holiday period when demand is concentrated, the airline is helping to partially offset peak-season shortages.
A Korean Air official said, "We plan to respond to travel demand to Jeju during the holiday period and improve flight choices and convenience for customers using mileage," adding, "We will continue to expand opportunities to use bonus tickets so customers can make use of their mileage in a variety of ways."


[email protected] Jung Yong-bok Reporter